


Christmas Confession

by uravefangirlgurl



Category: Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe - Benjamin Alire Sáenz
Genre: Christmas, Confessions, Confident Dante, Flustered Aristotle, Friends to Lovers, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-30
Updated: 2020-12-30
Packaged: 2021-03-10 23:26:54
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,685
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28425456
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/uravefangirlgurl/pseuds/uravefangirlgurl
Summary: AU In which Aristotle and Dante spend their Christmas together, like the years before; the only difference is Aristotle will finally confess to his childhood best friend, Dante.
Relationships: Aristotle Mendoza/Dante Quintana
Comments: 1
Kudos: 25





	Christmas Confession

**Author's Note:**

> Dedicated to my platonic wife Smera♡
> 
> This is a fanfic written by someone who can't remember what happened in the book, so decided to make everything up. Just had the urge to write a fanfic about them, that's all.

It was Christmas. Dante loved Christmas; a fact which Aristotle knows by heart. How could he not? Dante reminds him every year about how Christmas is his favorite holiday. 

Aristotle knocked on Dante's front door. He hadn't even knocked thrice when the door already opened, by Dante, almost as if he's been waiting right there.

"My mom asked when you guys are coming," Aristotle said, putting his gloved hands in his pockets.

"We'll be there in---" Turning his head as far as he could to the left, facing the staircase, he shouted, "Mom! Dad! Are you guys ready!"

"We'll be right down there!" Dante's mom's muffled voice answered from upstairs.

Dante turned to Aristotle again. "We'll be in your house in five minutes!"

Aristotle nodded and was going to leave when Dante held his hand. 

"Ari, Christmas is the best, isn't it?" Dante said, his eyes practically sparkling.

Aristotle, forever weak when it came to Dante, smiled and nodded. "It is."

"Tell Mom and Dad 2.0 that we'll be right there."

Mom and Dad 2.0, what Dante calls his best friend's parents.

Aristotle nodded again. "I will, Dante."

"Bye, Ari," said the taller boy as he waved goodbye, as if they won't see each other in a few minutes.

It was the Mendoza's and Quintana's tradition to spend Christmas in each other's houses. Aristotle's parents, Lily and Jaime, first moved beside Dante's parents', Soledad and Sam **,** house, making them neighbors. The four of them clicked quickly. Lily and Soledad had a lot in common and so did Jaime and Sam. When Aristotle and Dante were born, so did the Christmas tradition where the Mendozas and Quintanas spend December 25th in one another's houses. The first year, it was the Mendozas who spent their Christmas on the Quintanas' house. This year it's the Quintanas' turn to spend their Christmas on the Mendoza's

To be honest, he didn't know when he started falling for his best friend. They've known each other since they were born. It was hard to notice since they've been together forever. Aristotle had a hard time figuring out if his feelings were platonic or romantic. He first questioned his feelings at the age of fourteen, when they were chasing each other.

It was summer. The sun was out and it was the hottest day of the year, that's what it felt like at least. They decided to play Tag outside even though they felt like dying from the heat, because they're young and stupid and that's what young and stupid people do. Aristotle was "it." When he had finally caught up to Dante, right when he was about to touch him, Dante turned and Aristotle bumped into him, they fell on the grass-covered ground. Aristotle was a bit pissed off because not only did his clothes get dirty, the grass made his bare skin itched. He looked over to Dante and was surprised when his best friend was starting to laugh.

_"We're so dumb, Ari."_

Aristotle didn't answer. He was mesmerized with how happy Dante looked, and the fact that he was the reason why the boy beside him was laughing, made his annoyance disappear somehow. He realized he felt that way for quite some time now. 

After that, Aristotle spent countless days observing Dante and how his best friend made him feel. He saw himself appreciating the other boy's talkativeness when he would find himself staring at Dante longer than he normally did and would see that the other boy hadn't even noticed, engrossed in what random thing he was talking about at the time. He would also find himself thinking about Dante more often than not. He even began being genuinely interested in what his best friend was talking about; he always did, he just found himself listening more intently that he ever did before. After a month, he couldn't deny it anymore. 

He was in love with Dante Quintana.

It's been two years. He never thought about confessing to Dante ever, especially since he knows Dante is straight. But, two months ago, at the back of their school, Aristotle saw Dante get kissed by their classmate, Daniel. He was going to punch Daniel because he thought he was harassing his best friend but then Dante kissed back. 

So, maybe Dante wasn't straight after all. But that doesn't mean anything… right?

He didn't talk to Dante about what he saw. For a while, he denied it to himself, maybe he was just seeing things. Maybe he wanted to be with his best friend so much that he made himself see Dante kiss another boy. Or maybe it wasn't Dante and Daniel, maybe it was Daniel and some other person that looked like his best friend, even though he memorized every feature of Dante and he wouldn't make that kind of mistake. He made up reasons and excuses why it was impossible that his best friend was kissing someone, specifically a boy. Because then what would that mean? That he had a chance?

But then Aristotle saw Daniel and Dante kiss again. He couldn't deny it anymore. He didn't even feel jealousy more than he was freaking out about what this could mean. He tried to bring up what he saw casually to one of their conversations. The times he saw the chance, though, he couldn't make the words come out. What would he say? " _I saw you kissing Daniel a week ago, what was that about?_ " " _Are you gay?_ " " _Do you like boys?_ " " _Do I have a chance with you?_ " Add that to the fact Aristotle still wasn't comfortable when talking about sensitive topics, it was just a big read NO. So, in the end, he never brought it up.

Instead, his mind came up with more questions. Were Dante and Daniel together? Are they a couple? And if they _aren't_ together, why were they kissing? How long have they been kissing/together? Who initiated the first kiss? Did Dante like Daniel? Did Daniel like Dante? Would he let Daniel get together with Dante? Daniel, the popular jock.

And so the questions gradually got worse. _What if Daniel was setting Dante for a trap? What if Daniel was doing this for laughs? What if he's trying to hurt Dante?_

He couldn't let his best friend fall for Daniel. At least, not before talking to him about it and confessing. Maybe if he confessed, Dante would choose him instead. Either to experiment and just have someone to kiss or someone to actually be… together with, romantically. If Dante and Daniel turn out to be a couple, at least Dante knows how Aristotle feels now? 

Aristotle didn't think that confessing might put a strain on their friendship, he knew Dante; Dante wouldn't act all strange or weird around him; if someone was going to be strange and weird, it would most likely be Aristotle. 

"So, are they coming now?" Aristotle's mother, Lily, asked right when he closed the door.

"Yeah. Just give them a minute or two," Aristotle answered,

His father was nowhere in sight.

The Mendoza-Quintana tradition starts by having brunch together. After brunch, Jaime and Sam spend their day watching Sports on TV while Lily and Soledad go out and have a "Moms Day," as they call it.

Which leaves Aristotle and Dante on their own; mostly the reason why Aristotle decided that this was the perfect time to confess to his childhood best friend. Another reason was because it was Dante's favorite holiday and Aristotle wanted to make it special. 

Three minutes later, there was a knock on the door. Aristotle, who was in the middle of arranging the table, opened it. 

"My, my, Aristotle!" Greeted Soledad, kissing him on the cheek.

"Hey, Auntie," Aristotle said, his lips pursed and resisting the urge to wipe his cheek. He knows he should be used to Dante's mom kissing him on the cheek since she does it a lot but he still doesn't like it.

"Auntie, I told you to just call me "Ari,"" he said under his breath, since he knows his best friend's mother wouldn't listen even if he did say it out loud.

"Lily! I love your decorations!" Soledad complimented, hugging Lily, and continued where Aristotle left off.

"Where's Jaime?" Asked Sam.

"Oh, he's upstairs. He got stain on it while he was making the lasagna," Lily said, her voice sounding like she finds it funny but also knowing how stupid her husband is.

"Ooh! He made the lasagna? Ugh, I wish _someone_ I know also knows how to make food," Soledad said, intentionally making her voice louder so her husband by her side can hear it.

"I'll make sure to add that to my New Year's Resolutions," Jaime said, taking a seat at the dining table.

Aristotle, who was watching them, forgot about his best friend for a moment.

"Hey, Ari, here's your Christmas gift!" Dante exclaimed, almost shoving his gift to the other boy.

Aristotle gladly took it. "Thank you, Dante. Your gift's upstairs. I'll go get it."

He was going to take a step when Dante spoke. "We're gonna spend Christmas upstairs anyway. Why get it now? Let's go eat first!"

Aristotle forgot to tell Dante they were going out today, for the confession, so they can have privacy. But he didn't bother to correct Dante, he would just tell him later.

He put the gift on the table near the front door and followed Dante on the dining table. Right after he did, his father went jogging down the stairs. 

"Heard you made the lasagna, Jaime?" Sam said after Aristotle and his father had sat down.

"Why, yes I did, Sam," Jaime answered, bowing slightly as a joke.

"You should teach me how to cook it sometime. Because _someone_ wants me to," Sam said, glancing at his wife when he said "someone."

Jaime chuckled.

Soledad was already sitting too. Only Lily was missing, she was getting the maple syrup and butter, for the pancake, in the fridge.

When everyone was finally sitting, they started eating and talked about random things.

***

"Uh, hey, Dante," Aristotle called when they finished eating.

They are currently at the sink, they've been assigned to wash the dishes because their mothers had an early appointment at the spa.

"Yeah?" Dante answered without looking up from the sink.

"Want to go outside?" Aristotle asked.

"Well, this is a first. I thought you didn't like going outside when it's snowing?" 

Dante finished his last plate and finally looked at his best friend who was, unlike him, still not finished washing his own dishes.

"Yeah, I know. But I just thought that maybe we could try... going out," Aristotle said, getting shy.

"You're red. Do you know you're red?" 

"No, I'm not." Aristotle tried to hide his cheeks by hunching his shoulders.

Dante looked at the other boy with amusement.

"Okay then. Let's do it," he finally answered after a moment.

"Okay. Okay. Okay, cool."

After a beat, Dante says, "Ari, I'm gay."

Aristotle freezed, he tried to hear if their fathers heard them.

"Don't answer me right now. Finish your dishes first."

But how can he? This was what he's been waiting for.

"No. I can finish this later. Our moms probably wouldn't come home until late in the afternoon. Let's go." Aristotle caught his best friend’s wrist and practically dragged him to the front door.

"Dad, we're going out," Aristotle said hurriedly, not waiting for his father to answer.

“But, Ari, you didn’t finish your dishes yet,” Dante complained, though not making an effort for his friend to let his hand go or to stop.

They stopped at the playground. Aristotle held Dante’s shoulders and forced him to sit on one of the swings.

Aristotle remained standing. Dante didn't say anything.

After a beat, Aristotle said, "Can you repeat that again?” 

Dante looked at him with an unreadable expression. “What?”

“The thing you said while I was washing the dishes.”

“Oh. That I’m gay?”

Aristotle let out a sigh of relief. “I thought for a moment that I heard it wrong. I got too lost in the moment there.” 

“Ari? What’s going on? You’re acting weird, you know that, right?”

“Yes. I know. And it’s because of you.” He looked at Dante intently.

“Are you going to say that you can’t be friends with me anymore because of my sexuality?”

Dante wouldn't look at him, Aristotle felt his stomach drop.

“Do you really think I’ll stop being your friend just because you’re gay?” 

“I don’t know. Are you?”

Disbelief covered Aristotle’s face. “Of course not. You’re my… best friend, maybe more.”

“What do you mean?” His best friend looked up.

Aristotle felt like he was going to be sick, but he pushed on. “I like you, Dante.”

Dante looked down again. 

“Stop playing with my feelings. You don’t have to be so cruel, Ari.”

Aristotle was going to defend himself when he saw Dante’s shoulders shaking.

“Are---Are you… _laughing_?”

Dante fell from the swing and clutched his stomach.

“Ari---Ari---your---YOUR FACE!” Dante said in between his laughs. He was kicking on the ground, still holding onto his stomach.

Aristotle still doesn’t know what’s happening. “Are---Are you okay?”

His best friend wiped the few tears that escaped from his eyes and nodded.

“Yep. Yeah, I’m fine.”

“What was that all about?” 

Aristotle watched Dante shake the sand from his clothes as he stood up.

“I knew, you know.”

“What, how?” 

“I don’t know, Ari, how do we know anything, really?”

He didn’t know how to react. Aristotle kept opening and closing his mouth, searching for something to say. He decided on staying quiet, to make Dante explain what this means.

They stared at each other until Dante held his hands up as a sign of surrendering. 

“You know that time you saw Daniel and I kiss?” 

He nodded.

“Daniel and I were experimenting with one another. Daniel saw you and told me after, you know, we kissed. I was going to chase you but I figured you’d stop being friends with me if you knew I knew so I didn’t say anything, and you didn;t say anything either so I thought, “maybe he wasn’t the one who saw us.” But then you kept… _staring_ at me longer and longer and---”

“You _noticed_ that?” 

Dante looked offended. “I may be preoccupied all the time but I always look at your face to try and know what you’re thinking.”

Aristotle nodded again.

“So I thought that you liked me too and tried to put you to the test. I kissed Daniel again and I made sure you saw it. You did. And I thought that would push you to confess. It didn’t. So I thought I misunderstood, I was heartbroken, you know. I let it go, the whole you thing. But while we were together in the kitchen, I told myself, “well, he’s going to know someday, might as well be today.” So I told you and I didn't know how you were going to react, but your face, Ari---” Dante shook his head. 

“What?”

“It showed _hope_ , excitement. Not disgust or hatred. So then I knew.”

“So… you messed with me?”

“Yeah?” Dante answered with the most unsure tone ever.

Aristotle spent a few moments just staring at the other boy, processing what his best friend just said.

“But---you know, Ari, I wasn’t really kissing Daniel. In my head, I was kissing you.” 

That was enough for Aristotle to take a step forward and catch Dante’s face in his hands. He slowly inched his face closer to Dante’s, asking for a silent permission to what he was going to do next, but Dante got impatient and did it for his best friend.

They deepened the kiss and held onto each other like their life depended on it. 

They didn’t want to stop but they had to, they were in public after all, even though no one was outside.

They put their foreheads together with a small smile in their faces.

“Merry Christmas, Dante.”

“Merry Christmas, Ari.”  
  



End file.
